May 22, 2017

Chicago Defenseman Bill White Dies At 77

Bill White, a former Blackhawks defenseman who played in six All-Star games, died at 77, according to the Blackhawks' website.

White began his NHL career at age 28 with the expansion Kings in 1967 after toiling in the AHL, receiving his break when the league expanded from six to 12 teams.

White spent parts of three seasons with the Kings before the Hawks traded for him in February of 1970 in a six-player deal. White combined with Pat Stapleton to form the Hawks' top defensive pairing on teams that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1971 and 1973.

Stapleton was more of an offensive force, while White was a defensive defenseman whose value was not recorded in the box score.

"Pat and I just seemed to click right away," White told the Hawks' site in 2010. "I was more of a stay-at-home type, and Pat liked to rush the puck. It was like we always knew what each other was thinking and was going to do."

Bill White was an outstanding defenseman with Team Canada 1972, contributing 1 goal and 1 assist in seven games played. Not exactly a flashy player, White's inclusion on the team may have surprised casual hockey fans, but certainly not his teammates.
White of course counts game eight as his favorite memory of the series - Henderson's goal and the celebrations. But don't forget the Canadians had to kill off the final 34 seconds of the game following Henderson's goal - 34 seconds which felt like an eternity.

Who was put out on the ice to help kill off the final seconds? Bill White. In fact it was White who relieved the pressure the Soviets were applying late in the game when he flipped the puck high down the ice. White's clearing attempt was perfect, as it was not far enough for icing. That effectively killed off the rest of the game.

White also remembers the switch of referees at the beginning of the game.

"Somehow I had felt there was a fix in there with the referees," said White. Swedish referee Uve Dahlberg was supposed to be one of the two referees, but somehow the Russians kept him out of the game and forced Canada to play with the incompetent - or perhaps down right biased - referee Josef Kompalla.

White was impressed by the Soviet's skill and speed, particularly that of Alexander Maltsev's.

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